Teddy Bishop and Kevin Bru return to the Town starting line-up facing Burton Albion for Grant Ward, who drops to the bench, and Jonathan Douglas, who misses out due to injury, as does Jonny Williams as a precaution.
McCarthy could start his team in either a 4-3-3 formation with Bishop taking the more advanced midfield role ahead of Bru and Cole Skuse with Freddie Sears and Tom Lawrence either side of Leon Best up front.
Alternatively, the Town boss could start in a 4-4-2 system with Sears up front alongside Best and Bishop on the right and Lawrence on the left.
Burton make two changes - skipper John Mousinho and Jamie Ward for Tom Naylor and Will Miller - to their XI and started in their usual 3-5-2 system.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Webster, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Bru, Bishop, Lawrence, Sears, Best. Subs: Gerken, Emmanuel, Kenlock, Digby, Dozzell, Grant, Ward.
Burton: McLaughlin, Brayford, Mousinho (c), McFadzean, Turner, O’Grady, Akins, Dyer, Ward, Palmer, Irvine. Subs: Bywater, Flanagan, Williamson, Naylor, Miller, Choudhury, Harness.